The invention relates to the enhancement of a digital x-ray image, such as an x-ray image of the breast ("a mammogram").
A mammogram reveals aspects of the internal structure of a human breast in order to facilitate the early detection of abnormalities within the breast. In x-ray mammography, x-rays are directed through the breast, which may be composed of various types of tissue, e.g., healthy glandular and/or fatty tissue, and/or abnormal tissue such as tumors and/or microcalcifications.
Different tissue types can have different densities. Denser tissue attenuates x-rays more than less-densesue. The ability to discriminate between tissues having relatively close densities can facilitate the detection of abnormal or suspicious lesions in the breast while such lesions are still small, in their incipiency.
The attenuated x-rays are then captured to generate a mammogram. In some systems, a sheet of photosensitive film is placed behind the breast. After exposure, the film is developed and viewed for diagnosis. Other systems employ an electrical imager to convert the x-rays into electrical signals, or image data, which may be printed, e.g., on a laser printer for diagnosis.